Chinese New Year celebrations have just finished. This traditional Chinese holiday has a long history you may not know about. And if you’re under the assumption that if this is your zodiac year there’s nothing but good luck for you around every corner, there’s some troubling news for you—that is, if you follow Chinese astrology. So, after all the fun, the food and the decorations, it’s time to understand what it is to be in the Year of the Rooster.

History
Chinese New Year is known as the Spring Festival in China, yet no one really knows when this celebration first started. Some historians claim it began as a year-end religious ceremony in the Shang Dynasty (1766 BCE to 1122 BCE). Others believe it began much earlier with Emperor Yao and Shun (around 2300 BCE) with a small Spring Festival. Whatever the origins, it was probably a way to bring some joy to a bleak winter, as well as for the farmers to use it as a way to mark the end of one growing season and to start preparing for the new one.

The first day of the new year is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar. It differs on the Gregorian calendar every year, but it’ll always fall between January 21^st and February 20^th. The Chinese lunar calendar is mainly used to track traditional festivals, yet some farmers still use it to determine when to plant and harvest. Traditionally, Chinese New Year activities commenced as early as three weeks before the actual day, but nowadays the festivities start about a week before Chinese New Year’s Eve. This would be the time when people would clean their houses of the old dirt in order to welcome in a brand new year. And, traditionally, the end of the Chinese New Year holiday will be marked with the Lantern Festival, which falls on the Chinese month 1, day 15 which falls on February 11^th, 2017 on the Gregorian calendar.

The Year of the Fire Rooster
The Chinese Animal Zodiac, or Ben Ming Nian, rotates on a 12-year cycle, but there’s another zodiac that moves along with the animals. This zodiac entails the Five Elements, which are gold (metal), wood, water, fire and earth. This elemental zodiac rotates every 60 years, and 2017 is the Year of the Fire Rooster. In Chinese astrology, those people who are said to be in their zodiac year are apparently offending a mighty deity called Tai Sui, a.k.a The God of Age. Tai Sui is said to put a curse on all those who were born in that zodiac year by giving those people an entire year of bad luck. There are ways of lessening Tai Sui’s wrath. Wearing red given to you by a friend, family member or spouse is said to ensure good luck; wearing jade accessories—jade symbolizes wisdom, balance and peace—should thwart outside negative vibrations; facing in the opposite direction of Tai Sui in the heavens should also bring luck—in 2017, Tai Sui (who is represented by the planet Jupiter) is in the West.

According to Chinese astrology, Roosters are charismatic people. They love attention but are hardworking, love to be active and healthy. However, it’s said they’re prone to mood swings, and they hate to be interrupted if they’re speaking and expect people to listen to them intently. Rooster’s lucky items are:

• Numbers that are a combination of 5, 7 or 8;
• The 4^th and 26^th days of the every Chinese lunar month;
• Gold, brown and yellow colours;
• Gladiola and cockscomb (of course) flowers;
• The directions of south and southeast; and
• The 2^nd, 5^th and 11^th months of the Chinese Lunar Calendar (March and June 2017, and January 2018).

However, you Roosters might run into problems, because some of your bad luck items also tend to be the ones that are said to ward off Tai Sui’s curse this year, so think carefully before using the following items:

• Red seems to be your unlucky colour;
• Refrain from any combination of 1, 3 and 9;
• Try not to face East; and
• Be extra vigilant in the 3^rd, 9^th and 12^th Chinese lunar months (April and November 2017, and February 2018).

Good luck, Fire Roosters.